The field of the invention relates to ultrasonic imaging and more particular to portable imaging devices.
Portable ultrasonic imaging devices are generally known. Such devices are typically used in medical applications and are intentionally limited in range.
Ultrasonic imaging devices are typically provided with an ultrasonic transducer which may include one or more ultrasonic transducer elements. The transducer element is typically a piezoelectric device which emits a sound pulse upon application of an electric potential across the transducer element. In the case of ultrasonic imaging devices, the ultrasonic transducer elements are typically arranged in two-directional arrays.
In operation, the transducer elements are typically actuated simultaneously or in some predetermined order to create an ultrasonic pulse. The pulse propagates outwards from the array in a well-known manner through a propagation medium. As the pulse encounters discontinuities in the medium a portion of the pulse is reflected. As the pulse is reflected, it travels back to and encounters the transducer.
Within the transducer, the amplitude, direction of arrival and time since the initial pulse are measured. From the measured amplitude, direction of arrival and time since transmission, the location and size of the reflecting object can be determined. Further, by measuring the fine detail of the reflected pulse, the shape and appearance of the reflecting object may be recreated.
While ultrasonic imaging devices work well, their use has been limited by the resolution of the transducer and by the magnitude of the emitted ultrasonic pulse. Accordingly, a need exists for an ultrasonic imaging system with a better resolution, and hence, range.
An acoustic/video processing stack of a plurality of substantially identical acoustic/video processing stacks is provided for attachment to a processing stack backplane and which together generate a VGA signal for display of a three-dimensional acoustic image. The acoustic/video processing stack includes a two-dimensional array of transducer elements, a companion chip block coupled to and adapted to transceive acoustic signals under a time-division multiplexed format through the transducer elements and to provide a portion of the VGA signal together generated by the plurality of acoustic/video processing stacks and a backing block disposed between the two-dimensional array and companion chip block and adapted to acoustically isolate the two-dimensional transducer array from the companion chip block, said companion chip block and backing block being of a size and diameter substantially the same as the two-dimensional transducer array.